KVR Audio

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Fri Dec 01, 2017 12:09 pm

If I were to get a hardware synth, it would be the Waldorf Quantum

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Fri Dec 01, 2017 1:06 pm

Novation Peak
or
Dave Smith Instruments OB-6

bill45 · Post by **bill45** » Fri Dec 01, 2017 6:39 pm

Roland integra 7

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Fri Dec 01, 2017 6:41 pm

pdxindy wrote:If I were to get a hardware synth, it would be the Waldorf Quantum

they will probably only make 1 and I already put in dibs.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Fri Dec 01, 2017 9:49 pm

SJ_Digriz wrote:
pdxindy wrote:If I were to get a hardware synth, it would be the Waldorf Quantum
they will probably only make 1 and I already put in dibs.

Oh well...

jdoo · Post by **jdoo** » Sat Dec 02, 2017 6:03 pm

pdxindy wrote:If I were to get a hardware synth, it would be the Waldorf Quantum

After watching the MESSE 2017: Waldorf Quantum sonicstate video on YouTube, it reminded me in many ways, of patches that I have in the iPad app, Nave (also from Waldorf). So, I loaded it up... connected through a controller... and quickly realized that there is a huge amount of the Quantum sonic space, that is covered in the iPad version of Nave. Not surprising, since it was developed by Waldorf, and had Stefan Stenzel, Rolf Wöhrmann and Axel Hartmann (who is in the Quantum video - involved).

If you've integrated iOS into your hardware system (I recently have done this) - then iPad/iOS apps start to seriously play into your hardware options. In this case.. a $20 app brings a load of those timbres into my setup. Granted... I had an iPad Pro, interface, mixer, other gear that makes this possible. The price of those, brings the cost up.. but if you already have a system with iOS integrated with your hardware... it's a cheap to add fresh timbres.

So - to the OP... my next hardware synth - is more integration with my iOS synths.

.jon · Post by **.jon** » Sat Dec 02, 2017 6:08 pm

I'm looking for a compact desktop poly, and been looking at either a Tetra to sit on my Mopho SE, a Roland D-05 or a PreenFM... or a rack Kawai or WS... or a P-12. In other words I have no idea yet other than it needs to come without keys and be able to make pads.

RichieWitch · Post by **RichieWitch** » Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:30 pm

I'm headed out to LA again for Christmas this year, and like last year, I'll probably drive over to Perfect Circuit Audio in Burbank. Their showroom has pretty much every synthesizer in current production, plugged in and ready to play, with headphones on hand too. It's a great place to audition (and buy) hardware, and has helped me avoid some questionable purchases but also opened my ears to some gear I'd never considered.

Last year, I was convinced I wanted either a Roland JD-xa or an DSI OB-6. After playing both, and then spending time on the Prophet 6, I knew that the Prophet was the clear winner for the sounds I want. I spent some time on the Vermona DRM1 MK III as well, and that will definitely find it's way into my studio one day. Having auditioned it, it is exactly what I'm looking for in a drum machine.

They have tables of semi-modular gear and clusters of modular with piles of patch cables too. The place is synth heaven.

Bigimpactsound · Post by **Bigimpactsound** » Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:09 pm

Novation Peak looks very tempting......

D-Fusion · Post by **D-Fusion** » Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:22 pm

I do own a Prophet Rev 2 Module 8 voice and love the sound of it so i might get a 16 Voice keyboard version too and a Prophet 6 but i will wait until Namm 2018 to see if there is anything new released.

I am already covered in both analogue and digital synths but i do want more

RichieWitch · Post by **RichieWitch** » Tue Dec 12, 2017 6:29 pm

Thinking about unloading my BassStation Rack and the bass fuzz pedal I bought for it now that I have the Xenophone. And maybe my Novation Circuit as well since I find the only thing I use it for anymore is sequencing. I never gelled with the sound engine--just sounds too digital for my musical style.

With the extra cash, I might buy a Pittsburgh Modular Structure-420. That would be big enough to consolidate both my existing Eurorack cases and give me a little extra room too.

I've got a few other pieces of gear that need to go after the first of the year, so maybe 2018 will be the year I get that Prophet 6!

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:24 pm

JCJR wrote:Lately seems the most desirable piece is on the verge of unavailable new. Hadn't previously paid it attention but possibly would be of more use to me than newer workstations-- A fully loaded Kurzweil pc3k6 for $2500-- https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PC3K6

I generally liked kurzweil sounds and playability but considered the programming interface needlessly arcane and complex, which is why I didn't pay much attention to them. Didn't want to learn that (IMO) bass-ackwards method of programming.

I love PC3K's. I always dream of having one. Not so much for the programming but for the included sounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tosd_3yCGWc&t=151s

Every summer I go out to concerts in the park which mostly are classic rock bands. More times than not the keyboard player is using a PC3K No mysteries, no endless tweaking just reliable familiar tones right out of the box

JCJR · Post by **JCJR** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 4:47 pm

tapper mike wrote: I love PC3K's. I always dream of having one. Not so much for the programming but for the included sounds.

Every summer I go out to concerts in the park which mostly are classic rock bands. More times than not the keyboard player is using a PC3K No mysteries, no endless tweaking just reliable familiar tones right out of the box

Thanks Mike. Sorta what I was thinking. So far as I know never played a PC3K and I go to a concert maybe once per decade.

Had a real steady house gig 1982 to 1995, finally quit to program full time. The first guy took my place had some kind of PC2, can't recall the model. I hardly ever took a vacation but my friends subsequent on the gig would actually take yearly vacations and even a regular day or three off per month, so at those times I'd go sub using whatever gear they had permanently setup at the gig..

Anyway that PC2 was fun to play and "sounded right". He had programmed it with enough splits and layers that I didn't really need to add patches, but he "donated" me a range of presets that I could program and left the manual on the gig if I wanted to make some patches on breaks when I was subbing. It wasn't un-learnable, but at the time just seemed bass-ackwards complicated way to do simple things. Now it might have been elegant for complicated things, but seemed a bit of learning curve for simple things.

I recall a couple of times fooling with programming it, up on stage on break with phones, headlamp on head, manual in hand, pushing buttons and pushing the wrong one getting into a state I was afraid maybe I'd wipe out some of my friend's programming if I continued. So just turn off the axe without saving anything, to stay out of trouble, and just get by on the gig with patches already in there.

Now that could have been cured easy enough by buying one, setting it up at home, cursing at it daily for awhile til figuring out how to run the thang.

That is why I had a "blind spot" to actually considering buying one for myself. Wasn't terrified of learning to program it but seemed a bit of trouble, even compared to sometimes arcane roland, yamaha or kawai programming procedures. And therefore probably cheated myself out of the "easy way" to get a big box of sounds that just work right, straight off the factory presets.

Ferinstance all ya need is a couple of horn patches that work. Unneeded are 150 horn patches as found on some synths, none of which fully work as desired, leading to a chore of finding a few best-sounding suspects culled out of 150, then trying to program and smooth out the faults in the few "best" horn patches I could find.

Needle in haystack work.

RichieWitch · Post by **RichieWitch** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:19 pm

Anybody else see Behringer slip those new analog synths onto their website? A fully analog Wasp? With Eurorack compatibility? And the Octave Cat? My wallet is getting scared just thinking about it.

Apparently, they are also talking about cloning the Arp2600, the Korg MS-20, SH 101, and the VCS3. Most of those have been done already, whereas the Wasp and the Cat have not AFAIK. Why not a Korg 770? Or an Ensoniq Fizmo??

JCJR · Post by **JCJR** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 8:02 pm

RichieWitch wrote:Anybody else see Behringer slip those new analog synths onto their website? A fully analog Wasp? With Eurorack compatibility? And the Octave Cat? My wallet is getting scared just thinking about it.

Apparently, they are also talking about cloning the Arp2600, the Korg MS-20, SH 101, and the VCS3. Most of those have been done already, whereas the Wasp and the Cat have not AFAIK. Why not a Korg 770? Or an Ensoniq Fizmo??

A really accurate Rhodes Chroma Polaris clone please. With a few minor tweaks--
1: No funky membrane switch panel
2. 8 or more of the 2-oscillator voices, not the original Chroma Polaris's 6 voices.
3. Eliminate the CA3080 OTA which Polaris had in the master output path. That 50 cent IC chip was used as master volume controller VCA for the entire mix of all voices going to the output jack. That was a bad choice having too much noise and distortion for a "final everything mixed output master gain VCA". Even a simple master level Rheostat knob would be infinitely better.
4. Use a logic board/microcontroller that is not so likely to have mysterious clock startup issues after a few years use.

Your Next (Hardware) Synth?